Parrot Party

We've decided to postpone our trip down to the coast... it's just too far, a 14 hour drive in horrible long-weekend traffic, to spend four days before the great trek home again. I hope it won't be too long before we can go for a reasonable amount of time.

So, I will dwell a bit longer on our short Aussie visit - and the weird and wonderful birds that abound. I photographed the white parrots above, that were hung like bits of rag around a pine tree at Cottesloe Beach, where we were looking at the Sculpture by the Sea exhibition. It was a surprise to see the photo zoomed in - they look like they're having such a party, with their funny, smiling beaks and their eager, greedy eyes!

I didn't get close up in any way to the bright little lorikeets (I think - the Perthians call them by another nickname, which I've forgotten, as they're a bit of a pest), so this is the vaguest impression of the flashing brightness of them as they dart through the dark Norfolk pines in great flocks, and making a huge din as they settle down for the evening.

Back again

I've been away!... The reason for my last post being so rushed and unedited - and I couldn't SAY I was going, as it was a surprise for my sister Vivienne's (Big!) birthday. I really wanted to do a post saying "Coo-o-eee, I'm over here, in Austra-a-aliaaa!", but it was a very short week with lots of lovely family and other people to talk to and wonderful things to do, so I didn't do any painting or blogging, besides these few sketches. Perth is a lovely town - relaxed and friendly with a vibrant art life and loads of outdoor attractions for the energetic. My second visit, I still couldn't get over the brightly coloured parrots and cockatoos that I've only seen before in cages, darting around and decorating sky and trees. I would love to do some watercolours of them, but my eyes can't quite make them out in the tall Norfolk pines, though I might try from a photo or two that I took.
These sketch-journal pages were done on rare occasions where I could sit and look, and draw a little - dear dog Harry chewing an enormous bone and fending off a cheeky marauding crow; an attempt at a frangipani tree, which grow so lushly in that climate; a harbour pub and boat club, and the airport, which always obliges to provide plenty of opportunity for sketching while you wait!